Guest Review: Via Napoli

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Thanks to Gloria Blankenship for this great review of her experience at Via Napoli! She also added a photo to the growing number on our First Look!: Epcot Via Napoli Pictures post! Thanks, Gloria!

Via Napoli in Epcot's Italy Pavilion

Atmosphere
We went there today before the soft opening, scheduled for Thursday. We were able to walk right in, although the tables soon filled up. Epcot is beautiful — and my favorite park — so I am biased.

The wood-fired ovens have faces and names: Stromboli, Versuvio and Etna. Nice touch and amusing. Wood-fired pizza is the specialty here, and you can also find veal, chicken, pasta, eggplant, gelato, and assorted wines and non-alcoholic beverages on the Via Napoli menu. There are nice chandeliers, decor, and a fresh “natural light” feel to the restaurant along with the charm of back-lit wood-fired ovens, chefs tossing pizza dough, and servers whose goal is to feed and charm the guests.

Eats
The calamari fritti (14.00) was good and came with marinara and lemons. Very nicely portioned.

The pizza was quite good and came in three sizes: 16.00 for individual 10 inch, 27.00 for 20 inch, and 37.00 for half meter, which serves four. The Margherita pizza has real basil on it, although they only had grated parmesan pecorino from a shaker — not fresh parmesan service. The pizza sauce and dough are good, and the pizza’s cheese was nice. The crust is not too thick or thin.

The kids meals come with pizza, chicken, or spaghetti and meatballs, and include a drink (no grapes, carrots, applesauce, or cookie) and cost 9.50. Kids meal drinks are milk, juice, or bottled water. My server brought a soda instead when asked, so this might be an option. They also offered spaghetti marinara, a la carte, when we requested it. That is the Disney magic — special requests with a smile.

There is a nice bread and dipping oil with entree. Very light and crisp, but not crunchy.

Bread and Olive Oil

The ambience and experience is delightful; tables are not bunched together as in some Disney spots. Fabio, my server, was charming and courteous. Buon Appetito!

Thanks, Gloria! Click the following link to see more about Epcot’s newest restaurant, Via Napoli!

6 Comments

While I think the pizza at Via Napoli looks delicious, I would never pay $16 or $27 for it…and $37 is just crazy! Also, $14 for calamari is a bit steep as well.
I understand you’re in WDW and the prices are higher, but I can get the same or better pizza right here at home for half the price. There are so many amazing options available in WDW and especially World Showcase, that I would want to try while on vacation.
With that said, I do think this is a refreshing change to the horrible pizza Disney has been offering…I just wish the prices were more reasonable.

As outrageously priced Disney can get.. I still keep coming back for more and just have to go in with the idea of your getting what you pay for and not just overpriced pizza but an experience you can’t get anywhere else and so It doesnt bother me as much after that. I am all for saving money but when it comes to Disney food it’s the experience and the quality and I just have to not think about the cost at times.

Looks delicious! Hoping to try it out next week. I was told on the phone that they are only taking walkups until Sept. 9, no reservations. Anyone have any reports on how long the waits have been? It looks like such a big place that I can’t imagine it is that difficult to get in.

Honestly if I didn’t have the dining plan I wouldn’t eat here. At home 20 inch pizzas like this are $15 and obviously that makes the personal size here a lot cheaper too. But on the plan it is totally worth the one credit to give it a try.